Saturday, August 21, 2010

Buy Pagan Swag Contest!

Last month's Swag Draw was a HUGE success thanks to Elena Stokes of Wunderkind PR who donated two fabulous pieces of fiction to be given away. Thank you to everyone who entered, but for those that didn't win, NEVER FEAR, because a new Swag Contest begins today!

Between now and Mabon - or September 22nd - you can enter for the Buy Pagan Swag Draw! This month's contest is sponsored by my good friends Witchy Wearables. They're a fabulous local shop in Midlothian, IL. Kate and Morn have the widest, coolest array of witchy items out there, including some rare and one of a kind pieces. Also, they have several guest speakers and ongoing classes you can attend. They put on sabbat events, and even once did an awesome recreation of the world of Harry Potter for its release.

In short, Witchy Wearables is an incredible resource - which I've talked about before - and I hope that you'll all show some love to these wonderful witchy women by supporting their store. Times are a bit tough for everyone these days, and pagan shops are a uniquely niche market. When you send the witchlets off to school, they're not going with new wands and shiny cauldrons, they're going with backpacks and pencils. These things do not a bustling pagan business make.

On a recent trip to Witchy Wearables to pick up some oil I became inspired. This blog and podcast has a large audience, and I would like to use some of that to help out local pagan businesses, especially my favorite. Thus, that brings me to the rules for this month's Swag Draw! (Did you think I forgot about it?)

Just like always if you make a donation, you will be automatically entered once to win the contest. ALSO, to get pagans going back to brick and mortar pagan businesses - instead of buying everything online or at a craft store - there is a second way to win. If you make a purchase from your local witchy shop, and send me a picture or email with some sort of proof of purchase that you actually went to a physical store, then you get entered TWICE!

And just because I love me some Witchy Wearables, and I am so grateful to them for providing the services they do, if you make a purchase from Witchy Wearables in Midlothian, IL I will enter you FIVE TIMES into the swag contest! Now, you can't make direct purchases through their website, but you can call them and they will ship to you wherever you live. I'm going to talk to them about getting more pictures up on their site, because they have some really fabulous items - as Velma Nightshade can attest when she visited the shop.

Now, exactly what could you win for all this pagan shop love? Well, Witchy Wearables has put up two beautiful Books of Shadows made by UK company Nemesis Now. Imported from Europe straight for your altar are two unique Dragon themed Books of Shadows with pens and parchment paper waiting for you to write all those witchy thoughts in. Just like last time, there are two prizes, but unlike last time there is a First Prize and a Second Prize. Wonder if you can guess which is which:

So let's review:

Times are tough, and physical pagan shops need our business. You also like swag. Hey, lookie here, we have a SWAG CONTEST!

If you make a donation to the show you are entered ONCE.

If you make a purchase at your local pagan shop you are entered TWICE!

Just like always, if you donate AND make a purchase at your local witchy shop, then you'll be entered that combined number of times.

So BUY PAGAN, Rioters, and win some SWAG for doing so! Get those proofs of purchase emailed to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com for YOUR chance to win! And for extra measure, tell me about your favorite local witchy shop. #BuyPagan hashtag on Twitter! Let's start a movement!

I buy as much as possible from my local Pagan store, on principle. I will try to make sure I scan a receipt or two while this contest is on, since you so cleverly make that an option for non-Illinoisians ;-)